Bachelor of Science in
Interdisciplinary Studies: Interdisciplinary Aging Leadership & Administration

Interdisciplinary Studies
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Turn Compassion Into a Career

The BS in Interdisciplinary Studies: Interdisciplinary Aging Leadership & Administration at Eastern Washington University is an online degree that prepares you to lead, advocate, and innovate in careers serving older adults.

This program is suitable for students with various academic and professional backgrounds. It combines coursework in aging studies, healthcare administration, psychology, and cultural studies, giving you the leadership, communication, and administrative skills necessary to support an aging population with compassion and confidence.

You’ll also have the opportunity to earn credit for real-world experience through a professional portfolio or approved licenses and training.

Whether you’re already working in aging services or looking to make a career change, this program offers a flexible, hands-on approach to earning a meaningful degree and making a positive impact.

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Interdisciplinary Studies: Interdisciplinary Aging Leadership & Administration Major, Bachelor of Science (BS)

The Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies: Interdisciplinary Aging Leadership & Administration is an online degree option that enables students to earn lower division elective credits (subject to department assessment*) toward their degree through submission of an experiential learning portfolio (after completing a specialized Portfolio Development course, ITDS 300) and/or approved apprenticeships, licenses, and other professional learning experiences. Visit the Interdisciplinary Credit for Prior Learning webpage to learn more about credit for prior learning through the Interdisciplinary Studies department.

Students will integrate coursework from Aging Studies, Healthcare Administration, Psychology, and diverse human backgrounds, providing a multifaceted understanding of the issues affecting older adults. The curriculum prepares students with the leadership, administrative, and culturally responsive skills needed to serve and advocate for a diverse aging population. Ensuring a well-rounded and cohesive educational experience are 16 credits of required Interdisciplinary Core courses that emphasize an integrated approach to understanding complex, real-world problems.

* Contact the Interdisciplinary Studies Department for credit limitations and the current required department assessment fee(s).
 
How does this degree compare with other Interdisciplinary Studies degree options? Review the program comparison table for detailed information.
 
Required Courses
Completion of the Aging Studies Minor is Required16
Required Courses
MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES IN AGING
MINORITY PERSPECTIVES IN AGING
Electives-choose two from the following
INTRODUCTION TO PALLIATIVE CARE
GRIEF, LOSS AND RESILIENCE
PERSPECTIVES ON DEATH AND DYING
Completion of the Healthcare Administration Minor is Required20
Required Courses
HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP
HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOR
HEALTHCARE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
HEALTHCARE LAW, REGULATIONS & ETHICS
Upper-Division Electives-Focusing on Diverse Human Backgrounds and/or Psychology16
Choose from upper-division (300- and 400-level) courses in AAST, AGST, CHST, DSST, IDST, GWSS and/or from PSYC 306, PSYC 316, PSYC 317, PSYC 495. These courses provide the cultural, social, and psychological lenses needed to understand and respond to the diverse experiences and identities of older adults.
Required Interdisciplinary Core
ITDS 230EXPLORING INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES4
ITDS 300PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT4
ITDS 330CONNECTING ITDS THEORY, RESEARCH & PRACTICE4
ITDS 490INTERDISCIPLINARY SR CAPSTONE4
Total Credits68

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ENGL 1015ENGL 2015MATH 107 or 1215
Humanities & Arts BACR 115Social Sciences BACR 115Social Sciences BACR 215
Natural Sciences BACR 115Natural Sciences BACR 215Humanities & Arts BACR 215
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
Diversity - graduation requirement15ITDS 2304Elective - minor or general elective45
Global Studies - graduation requirement15Elective - minor or general elective45Elective - minor or general elective45
Elective - minor or general elective45Elective - minor or general elective45Elective - minor or general elective45
 Elective - minor or general elective43Elective - minor or general elective43
 15 17 18
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ITDS 3004HCAD 4015AGST 4104
HCAD 3025Elective - minor or general elective45Elective - minor or general elective45
HCAD 3035Elective - minor or general elective45Elective - minor or general elective45
 14 15 14
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
HCAD 4125ITDS 3304ITDS 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)4
Diverse Human Backgrounds or Psychology Elective34Upper-Division Aging Studies Elective24Diverse Human Backgrounds or Psychology Elective34
Diverse Human Backgrounds or Psychology Elective34Diverse Human Backgrounds or Psychology Elective34Upper-Division Aging Studies Elective24
 Elective - minor or general elective43Elective - minor or general elective42
 13 15 14
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Upper-Division Aging Studies Elective–complete 8 upper-division Aging Studies elective credits from the approved list.

3

Diverse Human Backgrounds or Psychology Elective–complete 16 upper-division elective credits focusing on Diverse Human Backgrounds and/or Psychology from the approved list.

4

Students may earn up to 45 credits after ITDS 300 - Portfolio Development, with a portfolio submission, reducing the number of elective credits required.   

General Education Requirements (GER)

  • Minimum Quarter Credits—180 cumulative credit hours
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at EWU, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at EWU
  • Minimum Semester Credits—120 cumulative credit hours
    • 40 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 30 credits in residence (attendance) at EWU, with at least 10 upper-division credits in major in residence at EWU
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

University Competencies and Proficiencies

Writing 
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning 

Placement and Clearance 
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB

Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)

Humanities and Arts 
Natural Sciences 
Social Sciences

University Graduation Requirements (UGR)

Diversity Course List
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List 
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)

Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term expected to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Core Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

Students who earn a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies: Interdisciplinary Aging Leadership & Administration from EWU should be able to:​​

  • describe the value of ITDS theory, research, and practice to complex community and workplace problems;
  • critically evaluate perspectives on complex issues leveraging literature from the perspective of multiple disciplines;
  • synthesize meaningful personal and professional connections and multiple areas of study;
  • design a project involving original research and/or a literature review using an integrated approach;
  • demonstrate professional communication with potential community partners and stakeholders while developing a project to address a community- or workplace-situated problem;
  • reflect on the value of prior experiential learning experiences in relation to college-level learning outcomes;
  • create artifacts representing the rich knowledge gained from learning experiences for a potential experiential learning credit portfolio;
  • relate and apply aging, leadership, and administration-related theories and principles to various work environments;
  • investigate the intersection of people of diverse backgrounds in relation to serving the aging community;
  • develop plans to incorporate aging, leadership, and administrative principles to address complex challenges across diverse work environments serving older adults.

Applied Learning Opportunities

  • Classroom-Based Applied Learning: Students develop proposals for community-based projects and apply leadership principles to their own lives through weekly discussions.
  • Internships: Get real-world experience (and often credit or pay) by working in a professional setting connected to your career goals.
  • Undergraduate Research: Collaborate with professors on research projects where you ask questions, solve problems, and present your findings.
Students talk with Bill Youngs